Gerricann

We recently were on Brillance of the Seas in November and used Ramses Tours for a day trip to the pyramids. Islam was our tour guide and he was a very pleasant individual with an excellent command of English. His knowledge and sharing of information with our group was most impressive. His driver, Farid, was very capable in navigating the challenging road system.

Unfortunately, due to fog, we were not able to depart from the port on time. All tours faced this same problem. Then construction on the highway added to a longer drive than originally stated. I'm sure this construction has been going on for awhile and probably will continue for quite some time. As a result we were on a very tight schedule so that we could see as many of the sites as originally planned. Islam was very good in moving the group through all the sites and ensuring we got to see everything of significance. His explanations and details were so good, that tourists from other groups began to join our group and listen to Islam's detailed and competent explanations.

Our one disappointment was that due to time we did not get to the bazaar that we had originally planned to go to. Again, this was a day trip so we needed to get back to the ship, which we did by 9:00 p.m.

Enjoyed seeing your fashions for your cruise. Black and red is a fabulous combination for you.

Just a small fashion tip that is useful for everyone. When dressing, ask yourself where you want people's eyes to focus. That's the area you play up and down play the other areas. That's why a fabulous piece of (costume) jewellery keeps people focused near your face. The outfit need only be plain and simple. A bright coloured top and black bottoms also keeps attention away from the bottom. Embellishments around a neckline of a top such as beading and sequins is also a great distractor.

Unfortunately when people post on a public form on the internet, no tone is attached to the message. It is presumptuous of you to think that I am being anything other than thoughtful and trying to make helpful suggestions that would generally apply to people who might happen to look at a thread on Cruising to Healthy.

How sad that one can't offer suggestions--who in fact is the expert here?:(

You generally do not appreciate what I have posted in the past, even though from experience and expertise, I really do know what I am talking about. Processed foods need to be avoided and a healthy way of eating needs to be adopted for life. It is not just about losing weight (which of course we all want) but it's about a life long healthy approach to food.

The article below, written by Dr. Oz offers some important information which you can chose to ignore or might benefit from.

Fuzzy fruit packs health punch

April 2, 2010 The You Docs

If you've only thought of kiwifruit as a nice garnish or an occasional treat, think again. Kiwis (meaning the fruit, not people from New Zealand or the bird from that country) can knock down your heart disease risk.

They do this in two ways: by helping to lower levels of triglycerides and by reducing platelet clumping. Triglycerides are a nasty blood fat that can start a process that fuels the growth of plaque in your arteries. Platelets, a type of blood cell that keep you from bleeding to death from a paper cut or a razor nick, also have a down side. They grab onto rough spots inside your arteries and can end up blocking an entire artery. And that spells trouble for you (otherwise known as a heart attack).

So, why does kiwifruit help? Each one is a package of heart-healthy nutrients: more vitamin C than in an orange, more potassium than in bananas and lots of magnesium. EAT YOURSELF THIN: Eating to lose weight requires a plan you can – or would – stick to for life. So, try these flavourful foods:

1. Salmon: The omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA especially) in this fish may help your body lose fat – especially when coupled with exercise.

2. Eggs: They're back on the healthy-foods list. Eating them instead of carbs for breakfast staves off hunger longer.

3. Peanuts: They are high in fat and calories but a small daily serving – 20 dry-roasted peanuts – keeps your waist thinner. Just make sure you substitute the nuts for a high-calorie food that's already in your diet.

4. Apples: Munch on an apple before every meal, and you will be less likely to clean your dinner plate (and anyone else's). Apples are packed with filling fibre, but aren't high in calories.

5. Fava beans: These creamy beans are loaded with flavonoids. And a 14-year study in women showed that high flavonoid intake wards off the worst fat – belly fat.

FEELING YOUR OATS: One of the sneakiest problems in your body is inflammation. Even though you can't feel it, it goes about its business, encouraging the buildup of gunky plaque in your arteries. But new research suggests a humble grain – oats – might be able to fight this bad player.

The key compounds in oats are called avenanthramides, a type of friendly molecule that dials back levels of inflammatory cytokines (potent immune system chemicals) in your body. When cytokine levels in your body stay high, they can spur the development of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. Besides their effect on cytokines, oats help whittle your waist, keep your arteries youthfully flexible, discourage heart-threatening blood clots and whisk lousy LDL cholesterol out of your body.

Don't do oatmeal? Try sprinkling oats into other foods; use them to thicken soups, add them to whole-wheat flour in muffins, use oats as a yogurt topping or make an oat crust for a healthy berry crisp.

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I have been dealing with weight issues all my life and know what dieting is all about. However, in following this site there seems to be something I don't understand. Many of you work really hard at dieting but don't give much attention to the "quality" of the food you eat.

Why eat Captain Crunch cereal which will give you hunger pangs several hours later, due to all the sugar which causes your insulin levels to spike, when you could eat a bowl of porridge which fills me up till lunch. To make it more attractive, I add cinnamon, almonds or walnuts and plain yogourt and some grapes or blueberries. The nuts are good fats, cinnamon guards against diabetes and grapes and blueberries are antioxidants.

Too many bad carbohydrates seems to be the number one reason so many of you are not meeting with more success given how hard you try. It also appears that fast food restaurants (Subway) is your food of choice. Does anyone cook at home anymore? Besides being healthier to eat at home it is so much cheaper!!! Don't have time on your hands, then make quantity meals you can freeze.

I'm sorry I'm budding into what appears to be your personal thread but I just could not keep quiet. You work so hard at noting all the foods some of you eat and most are too calorie intense yet not alot of quantity. I bet my bowl of cereal has less calories, more satisfaction and fullness than the bowl of sweet Captain Crunch which several hours later will leave you hungry and fighting not to eat something between meals.

Just my opinion but cutting out bad carbs, reducing sugar and increasing good fats has worked for many people and is not a diet but a manageable way of life and that's what it should be all about.

While on spring break several of us had valuables stolen out of our stateroom. Management said they investigated and could find no one liable (probably means they fired the stateroom attendant). They said since extra insurance was not purchased to cover contents in the stateroom, they are not responsible.

I'm interested in knowing if anyone else has ever had this experience and how was it handled by the cruise company.:(